Cars Blog

1.6M Jeeps in car recall

Despite earlier refusing a request from the feds to recall 1,560,000 Jeeps in the U.S., parent company Chrysler Group LLC has said it has "resolved its differences" with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and will indeed recall the cars in question. The recall involves some of the 1993-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokees and 2002-2007 Jeep Libertys, due to a possible problem with the fuel tank that could result in leakage or a fire in a rear-impact crash.

The announcement of the car recall comes after an increase in signatures on a petition on Change.org demanding the recall. The petition, which received more than 127,000 signatures, was started by Jenelle Embrey, who witnessed a mother and her teenage son burn to death in their 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee in an October 2012 crash. The NHTSA began investigating the Jeep models in 2010 as a result of a request by the Center for Auto Safety, a consumer group that monitors accident data and takes consumer complaints.

Affected cars will get a visual inspection and the addition of a Chrysler-designed tow hitch if they are not already equipped with a hitch and if the structure can support the installation. According to Chrysler, the Chrysler-designed tow hitch will help "better manage crash forces in low-speed impacts." Chrysler maintains that the cars in the recall are not defective and are among the safest cars in their segment.

Do you own one of the cars in the recall? Do you think they're safe?

Tara Baukus Mello writes the cars blog as well as the weekly Driving for Dollars column, providing both practical financial advice for consumers as well as insight into the latest developments in the automotive world. Follow her on Facebook here or on Twitter @SheDrives.

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58 Comments

Nichole

July 10, 2013 at 9:50 pm

I didn't get any recall notices and I have an 04 jeep liberty. What do I do?

Louis Jost

July 07, 2013 at 11:21 am

My son David Had a 1974 Jeep Cherokee Laredo that burned up after it burned he junked it I told him he should have called Chrysler corporation it is to probably to late now.

john

July 07, 2013 at 8:11 am

It is up to the manufactuer to do a volintairy recall. Our government can mandate a recall but as is always, it is a matter of $. Fiat took the reighns from chrysler and basicly got a free auto manufactuer, the US government spent no money and the US taxpayers paied the bill. The new Challenger has two wide stripes on its fender, LOOK AGAIN, its a fiat insignia. BE AN AMERICAN, BUY AMERICAN, FORD - GM. And I question GM aka Government Motors

Erin

July 07, 2013 at 12:36 am

I agree with Lauren. Why is it only up to the company?!

Lauren Sims

July 06, 2013 at 11:25 pm

Why it is we have to get the company's okay to recall their defective and in fact deadly products? The power of corporations and their profit margins should never be greater than the value of human lives. Just do the right thing- I won't buy a Jeep product given the choice. My 17 y/o has a 1996 Grand Cherokee and he can't afford to get another car yet. So we should wait for Chrysler to decide what they should do?

Dean

July 06, 2013 at 11:21 pm

2000 Jeep Cherokee here. Not the "Grand Cherokee" but since I do minor mechanical work myself did notice that the gas tank was rather close to the rear bumper. Felt better when I had a trailer hitch installed several years ago. Still a little leary of possibilities of being rear ended. (Bumpers seem a tad lightweight...) Ah for the ole JEEPS when Jeeps were Jeeps- rugged, simple and easy to repair....

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